--- product_id: 8520145 title: "House: The New York Times Bestseller About Homebuilding, Craftsmanship, and the American Dream" price: "€ 20.60" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/8520145-house-the-new-york-times-bestseller-about-homebuilding-craftsmanship-american store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # House: The New York Times Bestseller About Homebuilding, Craftsmanship, and the American Dream **Price:** € 20.60 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** House: The New York Times Bestseller About Homebuilding, Craftsmanship, and the American Dream - **How much does it cost?** € 20.60 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/8520145-house-the-new-york-times-bestseller-about-homebuilding-craftsmanship-american) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description In the New York Times bestseller House, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Tracy Kidder takes readers to the heart of the American Dream: the building of a family's first house with all its day-to-day frustrations, crises, tensions, challenges, and triumphs. In Kidder's "remarkable piece of craftsmanship in itself" ( Chicago Tribune ), constructing a staircase or applying a coat of paint becomes a riveting tale of conflicting wills, the strength and strain of relationships, and pride in skills. With drama, sensitivity, and insight, he takes us from blueprints to moving day, shedding light on objects usually taken for granted and creating a vivid cast of memorable characters in the process. "The making of a house is a strange blend of dreams and mundane work, of heaven and earth, and Mr. Kidder has explained it."— New York Times Book Review Review: How to build a house….with soul - Tracy Kidder is a master of nonfiction writing. I’ve read most of what he has written including what I consider to be his masterpiece, “Soul of a New Machine.” “House” is as entertaining and insightful as any of Kidder’s books. It gave me a new appreciation for those who work with their hands. Over the years I’ve had many people in my houses doing various types of repairs and constructions. I’ve always respected their skill, but I don’t think I knew much about their spirit until I read “House.” I once told a plumber, “You know, Earl, what you do is amazing. What I do (teaching high school English) is nothing.” He looked at me with a quizzical look. I said, “If I don’t show up, they’ll find another person with an English degree to do what I do. If you don’t show up, people can’t flush their toilet. Now, you tell me who is more important?” He grinned and went on fixing the drain he was working on. I have the same kind of respect for Tracy Kidder. Lots of people can write. Many of them can write well. Tracy Kidder writes the way the building crew in “House” worked: with spirit, precision, and soul. Review: Making wood a home - Sometimes I read something and I think, "How did the writer ever get these people to share so much?" This is one of those books. Judith and Jonathan Souweine have hired an architect and builders to construct their New England dream home. I've never built a home and don't plan to. That's okay. This book is not a how-to. It's a "here's what happened as one house got built" book. Kidder, no beginner in the field of narrative nonfiction, zeroes in on the key individuals involved in this particular construction project: the architect, an old friend of the Souweines; and the four men who comprise the entire Apple Corps building company, each uniquely gifted and together a generally well-coordinated team. The story follows the arc of the building, and the book is sectioned as the main stages of construction, beginning with The Contract. There's more drama here than one might expect, but not the sort of drama one would expect. And along the way, we learn about some of the finer aspects of home construction. While not the conventional cautionary tale about the commonly known pitfalls of building your own home, the book does provide wonderful insight into the building of one particular home but a set of individuals, each of whom had their own stake in what was being created. I'd recommend it for anyone curious about what makes wood a home. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #104,033 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #15 in House Plans #89 in Home Design & Construction (Books) #210 in Interior Design | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 223 Reviews | ## Images ![House: The New York Times Bestseller About Homebuilding, Craftsmanship, and the American Dream - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/713G4Df3v3L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ How to build a house….with soul *by D***D on September 30, 2021* Tracy Kidder is a master of nonfiction writing. I’ve read most of what he has written including what I consider to be his masterpiece, “Soul of a New Machine.” “House” is as entertaining and insightful as any of Kidder’s books. It gave me a new appreciation for those who work with their hands. Over the years I’ve had many people in my houses doing various types of repairs and constructions. I’ve always respected their skill, but I don’t think I knew much about their spirit until I read “House.” I once told a plumber, “You know, Earl, what you do is amazing. What I do (teaching high school English) is nothing.” He looked at me with a quizzical look. I said, “If I don’t show up, they’ll find another person with an English degree to do what I do. If you don’t show up, people can’t flush their toilet. Now, you tell me who is more important?” He grinned and went on fixing the drain he was working on. I have the same kind of respect for Tracy Kidder. Lots of people can write. Many of them can write well. Tracy Kidder writes the way the building crew in “House” worked: with spirit, precision, and soul. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Making wood a home *by E***B on May 10, 2025* Sometimes I read something and I think, "How did the writer ever get these people to share so much?" This is one of those books. Judith and Jonathan Souweine have hired an architect and builders to construct their New England dream home. I've never built a home and don't plan to. That's okay. This book is not a how-to. It's a "here's what happened as one house got built" book. Kidder, no beginner in the field of narrative nonfiction, zeroes in on the key individuals involved in this particular construction project: the architect, an old friend of the Souweines; and the four men who comprise the entire Apple Corps building company, each uniquely gifted and together a generally well-coordinated team. The story follows the arc of the building, and the book is sectioned as the main stages of construction, beginning with The Contract. There's more drama here than one might expect, but not the sort of drama one would expect. And along the way, we learn about some of the finer aspects of home construction. While not the conventional cautionary tale about the commonly known pitfalls of building your own home, the book does provide wonderful insight into the building of one particular home but a set of individuals, each of whom had their own stake in what was being created. I'd recommend it for anyone curious about what makes wood a home. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A philosophical view of building a house from all perspectives *by D***E on October 27, 2015* I originally read this book when we built a house in 1989. Reread it as we built a house this summer. Love Kidder's prose.. really need to be involved in house building or renovation to appreciate how building a house is more than just hiring a crew.. Ours became family and I made the cookies. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/8520145-house-the-new-york-times-bestseller-about-homebuilding-craftsmanship-american](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/8520145-house-the-new-york-times-bestseller-about-homebuilding-craftsmanship-american) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-08-22*